It’s that time of year again for introspection and goal-setting. At YellowDog, that means taking a look at our values to make sure we’re putting them first. To really act on our values of creativity, curiosity, and (especially!) community, we’ve put together this to-do list of action items for 2021.
At the top of our list are environmental goals. We’re ready to take the next steps to become even greener, and to hold ourselves accountable for our impact through local certifications. Next up is our commitment to our local community.
This is all part of our raison d’etre – the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit. It’s why we even bother to do business. For good!
Joining the Colorado Green Business Network
By the end of this year, we hope to be the newest Denver business listed in the Colorado Green Business Network. This is a program through the State of Colorado that helps businesses assess their own businesses with the help of an assigned advisor. Together, we’ll work toward goals in the areas of energy, solid waste and recycling, transportation, and water. It’s a long checklist, but we’re excited to dive in!
Colorado Environmental Leadership Program Certification
The next step after joining the CGBN will be to start the certification process for the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program (ELP). We hope to join this list at the first tier — Bronze Achievers — that have completed a significant environmental project and must have one year of clean compliance.
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TerraLoop & Biomimicry Design Alliance: Focus Group & Pilot Program
We’ve been selected! An exciting focus group invitation came from the founder of Biomimicry Alliance. They are creating a centralized digital ecosystem in the form of an app where businesses can match their needs to resources, while keeping materials out of the landfill. We’re looking forward to being their guinea pigs!
Regenerative Recovery Coalition: Pledge and Working Groups
We all care about how Colorado emerges from the crises we find ourselves in. Here’s an awesome opportunity to do something about it. The Alliance Center is organizing the Regenerative Recovery Coalition, where local business leaders can join different working groups in areas like energy, workforce development, water, and the circular economy. We’re in!
Woman-Owned Businesses: Certification and Support
Jenny, our fearless president and cofounder, completed the application for Woman-Owned Business Certification through the City of Denver’s Division of Small Business Opportunity and Colorado’s Minority Business Office. We don’t know when we’ll be granted this certification, but we’ll be sure to celebrate with special deals and support for other women-owned businesses! Go get it, ladies.
Quarterly Employee Do-Gooder Days
In 2020, we christened our tradition of all-staff volunteer outings as “Do-Gooder Days.” We sorted food together at the Food Bank of the Rockies and donated blood together for Vitalant. This year, we’re committed to organizing a quarterly outing where all employees are invited to use on-the-clock hours to go out and do good in the community. If you’re a local nonprofit with a project for us, please let us know!
Host Another Food Drive
Our December 2020 Stay PAWSitive Food Drive was a great success. We collected around 800 lbs of nonperishable food items for the Denver Rescue Mission. It was amazing to see long-time customers, as well as new faces from the local community, come by with boxes and bags of food to donate. We’ll be sure to make it an annual tradition.
by YellowDog.